Electrical connector

ABSTRACT

An electrical connector particularly adapted for use on land and water vehicles and other motor powered equipment having cartridge fuses held by spring arms, the connector being adapted for mounting on the end of a wire conductor and secured to the fuse holder by snapping it over the divergent ends of the fuse holder arms, the connector having resilient legs with opposed grooves for receiving the ends of the fuse holder arms, and the grooves being provided with end stops to keep the connector from sliding laterally off of the fuse holder. Also, wire conductor terminal means supported by the connector in a position to prevent interference with the connector attachement to the fuse holder, the article being securable to the fuse holder and to the wire conductor without tools.

United States Patent [191 Sholer June 28, 1974 ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR [76]Inventor: Lawrence J. Sholer, 15848 ABSTRACT Moorpark St., Encino,Calif. 93301 [22] Filed: July 9, 1973 [211 App]. No.: 377,207

[52] US. Cl 339/258 F, 337/251, 339/259 F [51] int. Cl H0lr 13/12 [58]Field of Search 339/252-254,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,132,203 10/1938 Clark ..I339/258 F 2,410,691 11/1946 Stevens 339/253 F Primary Examiner-Joseph H.McGlynn An electrical connector particularly adapted for use on land andwater vehicles and other motor powered equipment having cartridge fusesheld by spring arms, the connector being adapted for mounting on the endof a wire conductor and secured to the fuse holder by snapping it overthe divergent ends of the fuse holder arms, the connector havingresilient legs with opposed grooves for receiving the ends of the fuseholder arms, and the grooves being provided with end stops to keep theconnector from sliding laterally off of the fuse holder. Also, wireconductor terminal means supported by the connector in a position toprevent interference with the connector attachement to the fuse holder,the article being securable to the fuse holder and to the wire conductorwithout tools.

6 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures 1 ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Prior Art The closestknown prior art is as follows: US. Pat. No. 1,916,711 to Allgeier, July4, 1933; US. Pat. No. 1,930,428 to Jackson, Oct. 10, 1933; US. Pat. No.2,343,677 to La Mar, Mar. 7, 1944. US. Pat. No. 3,516,047 to Young, June2, 1970.

DISCLOSURE This invention relates to an electrical connector which isreadily adaptable to conventional cylindrical cartridge fuse holders,such as are found in motor vehicles. These fuse holders generallycomprise pairs of spring arms, each pair being adapted to yieldably gripan end of a fuse cartridge. My connector is adapted to slip endwise overthe ends of a pair of arms and being lodged thereon against accidentaldisplacement to provide simple yet highly effective and reliable meansfor making connections such as those required for an electricalaccessory added to a motor vehicle or the like, wherein the electricalconnection is not provided for at the time the vehicle is constructed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a connector in the form ofa U-shaped clip made of resilient spring metal with spaced legs, each ofwhich'has a transverse groove facing inwardly to receive the divergentends of a pair of fuse holder arms, the grooves having end stops toprevent dislodgement of the clip transversely thereof and of the fuseholder arms.

A further object of the invention is to provide a connector of the typedescribed with a cooperating tonguelike terminal element adapted to bereceived in a conventional female snap-on terminal element.

The above and other objects will more fully appear from the followingdescription in connection with the accompanying drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of one end of a fuse holder and fusewith an embodiment of my invention mounted thereon and showing itsrelationship to a fuse panel box;

FIG. 2 is a section taken approximately on the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of my connector and its relationship to afuse holder;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged section taken approximately on the line 4-4 ofFIG. 2.

There is shown a fuse panel box 6 including a panel or base 8, sidewalls 10, end walls 12 and partition walls 114. Mounted in each of thecavities defined by the walls of the panel box 6 are pairs of fuseholders 16, there being a pair in each cavity but only one being shownin the drawing. Each fuse holder comprises a pair of spring arms 18having upwardly or outwardly disposed divergent ends 20, the arms 18being connected by cross members 22 and the latter being secured to thepanel base 8 by rivets 24. As shown in FIG. 1, the rivets 24 havelaterally extending tongues 26 which extend through openings 28 in theend wall 12 of the fuse panel box. The tongues 26 are provided withturned end portions 29 which clampingly secure the ends of conductors 30forming part of an electrical circuit protected by a cartridge fuse 32held by the fuse holders l6.

My connector includes an inverted U-shaped spring clip 34 having spacedlegs 36 connected by a bridge 38.

Each leg 36 is provided with a transverse groove portion 40. The grooveportion 40, as best shown in FIG. 1, extends from the right edge of itsleg 36 to a point short of the left edge of the leg, terminating in anabutment 42. The clip 34 is adapted to be snapped down over thedivergent ends of the fuse holder arms 18 with said divergent endsseated in the grooves 40. The connector clip 34 cannot slide off of thefuse holder 16 to the left because of the end wall 12 of the fuse panelbox 6. The clip cannot slide laterally off of the fuse holder 16 to theright because of the abutment 42 at the left end of the groove 40. Theonly way in which the connector clip 34 can be removed from the fuseholder 16 is by an upward or outward pull sufficient to dislodge thedivergent ends 20 of the fuse holder from the grooves in the clip holder34. The resilient strength of the clip holder 34 is such thatdislodgement of said clip due to vibration and other shocks incidentalto operation of the equipment or vehicle will not occur. It can beremoved only by exerting a strong pull.

The bridge 38 connecting the legs 36 of the clip 34 has a metal strip 44extending beneath it as shown in FIG. 1. The strip then has portionsbent inwardly toward each other above the bridge 38 and the ends of thestrip are then bent upwardly in contact with each other perpendicularlyto the bridge 38. These perpendicular ends are provided with coincidentapertures 46. These strip ends are adapted to be received in a femaleconnector element 48 shown in FIG. 4 to have side portions 50 curvedinwardly. The ends of the strip 44 comprise a tongue received between aconnector element wall 52 and the inwardly curved side portions 50. Thewall 52 has a projection 54 pressed inwardly therein to yieldably seatin the coincident apertures 46 of the tongue comprising the ends of thestrip 44. The connector element 48 has a rolled portion 56 which iscrimped around an electrical conductor 58 leading to a piece ofelectrical equipment.

It will be seen that I have provided a relatively simple yet highlyefficient means for making a connection for an added piece of equipmentwithout requiring the use of tools or without splicing into existingwiring in the customary manner. The connector clip can be snapped on aU-shaped spring fuse holder element. In the case of moving vehicles orthe like, the motion will cause slight movement of the spring clip 34relative to the fuse holder arms and consequently maintain propercontact between the two. Even in stationary installations, the springaction itself is sufficient to keep the fuse holder and the spring clip34 in intimate current conducting contact. The electrical conductor canbe readily disconnected when necessary by pulling the female connectorelement off of the tongue provided by the ends of the strip 44. Whennecessary, the spring clip 34 itself can be removed by a forceful pull.Otherwise, it is firmly anchored in place.

It will of course be understood that various changes can be made in theform, details, arrangement and proportions of the various parts withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. An electrical connector for use with a fuse holder or the like inwhich the fuse holder has spaced spring arms with divergent free endswherein the improvement comprises: a U-shaped spring clip havingdivergent legs spaced sufficiently to receive endwise between them thedivergent free ends of the arms of a fuse holder upon which the clip isto be mounted, at least one leg of the U-shaped clip having a receptorfor the free end of a fuse holder arm, the receptor extendingtransversely of the leg a distance sufficient to accommodate the end ofthe fuse holder arm, at least one end of the transversely extendingreceptor having stop means to limit relative shifting movement of theclip leg transversely of the fuse holder arm, the receptor defining anabutment behind which the end of the fuse holder arm can be lodged whenthe clip is pushed endwise over the arm, and said U-shaped clip having aportion comprising a terminal for an electrical conductor.

and then terminating in an outwardly disposed tongue portion with anaperture therethrough, and a socket having wire conductor connectingmeans adapted to receive said tongue portion, the socket having a wallwith a detent receivable in said aperture.

6. The structure in claim 5, and said outwardly disposed tongue portioncomprising the two ends of said strip of metal having coincidentapertures therethrough, and the ends of said strip comprising saidtongue portion being held together in said socket.

I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION June 28, 1974Patent No. 3821695 Dated Inventor(s) Lawrence J. Sohler It is certifiedthat error appears in the above-identified patent and that said LettersPatent are hereby corrected as shown below:

The inventor's last name should be corrected to read:

Sohler Signed and sealed this 8th day of October 1974.

(SEAL) Attest:

MCCOY M. GIBSON JR. C. MARSHALL DANN I Commissioner of Patents AttestingOfficer USCOMM-DC 60376'P69 9 U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: I9690-366-334 FORM O-1050 (10-69) UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OFCORRECTION June 28, 1974 Patent No. 3821695 Dated Inventor(s) Lawrence JSohler It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patentand that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

The inventor's last name should be corrected to read:

Sohler Signed and sealed this 6th day of October 1974.

(SEAL) Attest:

MCCOY M. GIBSON JR. C. MARSHALL DANN Commissioner of Patents AttestingQfficer USCOMM'DC 50376-P69 a U,S. GOVERNMENT PR NTING OFFICE: 15590-366-334 FORM PC4050 (10-69)

1. An electrical connector for use with a fuse holder or the like inwhich the fuse holder has spaced spring arms with divergent free endswherein the improvement comprises: a U-shaped spring clip havingdivergent legs spaced sufficiently to receive endwise between them thedivergent free ends of the arms of a fuse holder upon which the clip isto be mounted, at least one leg of the U-shaped clip having a receptorfor the free end of a fuse holder arm, the recePtor extendingtransversely of the leg a distance sufficient to accommodate the end ofthe fuse holder arm, at least one end of the transversely extendingreceptor having stop means to limit relative shifting movement of theclip leg transversely of the fuse holder arm, the receptor defining anabutment behind which the end of the fuse holder arm can be lodged whenthe clip is pushed endwise over the arm, and said Ushaped clip having aportion comprising a terminal for an electrical conductor.
 2. Thestructure in claim 1, and said receptor comprising a groove extendingtransversely of one of the clip legs and terminating short of at leastone edge of said leg.
 3. The structure in claim 1, and the legs of saidU-shaped clip being of a sheet metal, and said receptor comprising agroove struck in the sheet metal of one of said legs.
 4. The structurein claim 1, and the legs of said clip having transverse inwardly facinggrooves in the inner faces thereof, said grooves being adapted toreceive the divergent ends of the arms of a fuse holder with the cliplegs in longitudinal alignment with the arms of the fuse holder.
 5. Thestructure in claim 1, and said U-shaped clip having a bridge connectingthe clip legs and supporting them in spaced relation, and said terminalincluding a strip of metal extending beneath said bridge and havingportions folded first toward each other on the bridge and thenterminating in an outwardly disposed tongue portion with an aperturetherethrough, and a socket having wire conductor connecting meansadapted to receive said tongue portion, the socket having a wall with adetent receivable in said aperture.
 6. The structure in claim 5, andsaid outwardly disposed tongue portion comprising the two ends of saidstrip of metal having coincident apertures therethrough, and the ends ofsaid strip comprising said tongue portion being held together in saidsocket.